Apparatus for coating metals with metal



(No Model.)

H. ROBERTS.

APPARATUS FOR COATING METALS WITH METAL.

No. 268,127. Patented Nov. 28, 1882.

EEEEE N. PETERS. Phulvumn n w. Wuhinglon. 0.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ROBERTS, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR COATING METALS WITH METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,127, dated November28, 1882.

Application filed January 25,1881. (No model.)

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Johnstown, Gambria county, in the State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forCoating Metals with Metal in a Melted State, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to the wiping to remove the surplus of meltedmetal. 1

1 will describe the invention as applied to the treatment of commonround wires, which I will assume are drawn down from rolled rods ofBessemer steel; but it may be understood that any metal capable of beingcoated with zinc or analogous metal maybe substituted, and that thewires may be flat, round, or of various other sections, and that theymay be known as wires, or by the various other tech- :iical names, ashoop-iron, bale-ties, or the ice.

I have discovered and practically wrought out peculiarly-eflicient meansfor wiping off the surplus metal by the application of the materialknown as mineral wool, slag-wool, or silicate-cotton. It is a silkyfibrous matter, produced by the treatment of cinder from a blast-furnaceby blowing it with a current of steam at high pressure. slagwool, as Iwill hereafter term it, is highly elastic and smooth, is not destroyedby the heat, and has but a slight affinity for or property of adhesionto the melted metal, and is sufficiently frictionless, elastic, andmobile in its nature to allow of being worked by rollers, so as to'bemoved in the manner which I will describe, and which is made thesubjectof a separate application for patent. I lead the wires in an inclineddirection upward from the bath of melted metal through a mass of thiswiping material. The wiping being effected by active contact with thismaterial imm'ediatel y on the emergence of the wires from the meltedbath, I can reduce the consumption of zinc to a minimum, The wiresemerge from the wiping-box thinly and uniformly coated, and present aremarkably perfect surface. The preparation of the wires to receive themelted zinc and the treatment .in the bath of zinc may be of theordinary and long-approved character.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, andrepresent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a vertical section through the apparatus. The remainingfigures represent details detached. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectionof my improved wiping-box. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of thesame, showing the ends of the agitating-rolls, their operatin ggear, andthe partition space at the side.

Similar letters of reference iudicatelike parts in all the figures.

I will describe the wiping of only one wire; but it will be understoodthat the apparatus may treat a series of wires traversed side by side ata proper distance apart.

A is a reel supplying the wire to be coated. m is the wire; B, anacid-tank; G, a quantity of acid and gravel therein; D, rollers therein;E, a roller on the delivering end of the acidtank; G, a furnace; I atube in the upper part thereof; H, aroller on the edge of the metalbath;I, the metal bath heated byafurnace below and around it, (notrepresented;) and J J are provisions for holding the wire under thesurface of the bath of melted metal. K is a box containing the wipingmaterial, and k is the wiping material. L and P are rollers immersed inthe wiping material, and l are projections thereon.

On emerging from the metal bath I the wires are led up through slots inthe bottom of a partially-overhanging box, K, which contains aliberalsupply of the slag-wool k, which serves as the wiping material, and theupper surface of which should be kept damp with water or tungstate ofsoda. The wires are led in an inclined direction through this box, andemerge with just a sufficient coating of zinc ready to be wound in coilsfor sale or use.

An agitation and circulating movement of the wiping material areattained by rollers L, mountedin the wiping-box, and turned by gearingin the direction indicated by the arrows. The surfaces of the severalrolls are armed with projections l, which engage with a justsuflicientquantity of the slag-wool and drag it 1 is soon raised by theworking, so that it ap- IOO 2 scale? proximates closely to that of themelted zinc, except that the upper stratum is kept wet and relativelycool by sprinkling with water, either ordinary fresh water or preferablya solution of tungstate of soda. The melted zinc removed by theparticles of slag-wool, moved actively toward the receiving side of thebox, is deposited in that edge of the box and dropped through theopenings there provided into the tank. The affinity or adhesion of themelted metal to the earthy wool is very slight.

The lower part, K of the side of the wipingboX nearest to the tank ofmelted metal is made in a separate piece from the rest, and can beremoved on taking out the screws k, which are inserted through lugs inthe upper portion, K, of the side. This facilitates the removal of thefinely-broken wiping material, which tends to accumuiate there.

The mineral wool is superior as a wiping material to anything beforeknown to me. Its fibrous character and its moderate gravity enableit tobe moved by the rollers in a very different manner from the sand andcharcoal which have, until recently, been universally employed. Itsdisposition to curl audits greater frictional properties cause it to beworked by any agitating means and to act upon the melted metal broughtup by the wires very differently from the straightearthy fiber known asasbes tus, which has been much used within a few yearspast. The severalfibers of mineial wool, sometimestermed slag-wool, employed in myinvention, engage with each other and cling with a force which makes thematerial peculiarly adapted both for effectually wiping the wires andfor being worked and moved by rollers or other agitating means.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions of the details. Ihave worked successfully with the wiping-box only about two (2) feetwide, so as to give a wiping traverse of only two (2) feet; but this maybe varied. I believe that little gain would result from an increase ofthe wiping traverse in treating wire of small size, because wires ofsmall size become rapidly cooled. For very large wires a widerwiping-box would be expedient.

There is a tendency of the slag-wool to become worn, abraded, or b oken,so as to accumulate a fine dust in'the bottom. When this has become toofine I replace it with fresh. No particular difficulty is experienced ifconsiderable of the broken earthy matter falls upon the melted zinc.

The mechanism shown, by which to present the wiping material withcontinually-chauging surfaces, and with a motion in the oppositedirection to that of the Wires, is made the subject of a separateapplication for patent; so also certain peculiarities of the acid bathand drying-furnace form the subject-of a separate application forpatent.

I claim as my invention In apparatus for coating wire, a wiper, throughwhich the several wires pass to remove the surplus metal, composed ofartificial mineral fiber, known as slag-wool, combined with means formoving and working the said material, substantially as herein specified.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, NewYork, this 19th day of January, 1880, in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

HENRY ROBERTS.

"Witnesses:

Cinemas 0. STETSON, M. F. BOYLE.

